Hands In Motion Jazz Band
Three Virtuosos. One Pulse. Master Jazz Improvisers.
This trio are a force to be reckoned with—three gifted virtuosos whose artistry is as raw as it is perfected. When Lannie Battistini, José Valentino, and Derris Lee, share a stage, something rare happens: music becomes a living conversation spoken fluently by all three, without a single word exchanged. Rehearsal is irrelevant to them—they don’t need it. Their musical instincts are so aligned, their ears so open, and their spirits so connected that they can shift, stretch, improvise, and reinvent a piece in real time purely by feeling the energy moving between them.
Whether performing each other’s original compositions or exploring new terrain within written arrangements, they follow the moment with fearless creativity. Every performance becomes a fresh creation—different textures, different colors, different emotional landscapes—yet always unified by mastery, trust, and a shared musical language. No two performances are ever the same, even when the setlist is identical. Together they deliver a sonic experience that is unpredictable, exhilarating, and profoundly moving… a testament to what can happen when three world-class artists breathe as one.
- Neysa Rodriguez Battistini, Publicist
Grammy Award Winning Publicist 2025
José Valentino is an internationally touring, cross-genre musical force—multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and scholar—with a career spanning thousands of festivals, concerts, and studio collaborations worldwide. Renowned for his electrifying improvisation, genre-bending compositions, and deep musical intelligence, he delivers performances that are both technically commanding and emotionally compelling on flute, saxophone, and bass. His extensive honors include EMMY®, GRAMMY®, Latin GRAMMY®, Global Music®, DownBeat®, Global Genius®, Anthem®, AVA Digital®, Davey®, Communicator®, Billboard®, and many others. José brings fire, imagination, and world-class musical architecture to the trio, completing a synergy that places these artists in a league of their own.
Lannie Battistini is a pianist of staggering brilliance—a melodic storyteller with instinctive mastery whose artistry elevates every stage and studio he enters. A genius of touch, tone, and expression, his fearless yet refined improvisation reflects authority, soul, and deep musical instinct. A genre-crossing craftsman, he moves effortlessly through jazz, Latin jazz, neo-classical, R&B, and popular music. With 45+ years of international festivals, concerts, and award-winning recordings, Lannie is a 2× GRAMMY® Award winner, Latin GRAMMY® winner, Latin GRAMMY® nominee, and 9× Global Music Awards recipient, and Founder/CEO of Hands In Motion Music School & Productions in Tampa Bay.
Derris Lee is a dynamic, multidimensional artist whose work spans percussion, piano, marimba, composition, and production—uniting technical virtuosity with intellectual depth. His performances are marked by rhythmic precision, emotional clarity, and intentional phrasing, shaped by fearless creativity and refined discipline. As both composer and educator, Derris blends scholarly insight with creative fire, earning honors including a Latin GRAMMY® Award, multiple Global Music Awards, DownBeat® recognitions, and international distinctions. His presence adds power, intellect, and rhythmic architecture to the trio, anchoring the ensemble with world-class musicianship and spiritual sensitivity.
What audiences witness on stage is not a rehearsed presentation, but music unfolding in real time. The set features two standards alongside three original compositions—two by Lannie Battistini and one by José Valentino—used as frameworks rather than fixed scripts. With no rehearsal, the trio relies on deep listening and shared intuition. The result is not replication, but discovery—three musicians meeting in the moment, engaged in an ongoing musical conversation.
This trio are a force to be reckoned with—three gifted virtuosos whose artistry is as raw as it is perfected. When Lannie Battistini, José Valentino, and Derris Lee share a stage, something rare happens…
